Art Deco inspires Olivia

Olivia Sefton is on a stepping stone to having her dreams coming true.

The St Matthews Collegiate student entered Newmarket Young Fashion Designer Award 2012 after being prompted to do so by a teacher and is the only finalist from the Wellington region. Olivia, who is Year 13, had about two months to complete her entry through the design stages.

"I didn't have a total guarantee I would make it but I was hoping to. Fashion's my dream and I really want to go far in the fashion industry. I thought this would be a good stepping stone."

Her entry of a dress and jacket were largely inspired by the buildings in Napier and are built around the theme of Art Deco.

"I knew the Art Deco movement was coming back in this year," she said.

The garments have elements of wax lace and chiffon, as well as print on material which Olivia designed herself. Although her strong point is designing, she spent hours sewing the clothing. "There were a lot of weekends spent in the DT [Design Technology] room," she said.

Olivia's entry is on display at an Auckland boutique along with the other entries. She will travel there next month to take part in a fashion show.

"I was happy when I found out I got in but now I'm just freaking out," Olivia said.

All the designs are on Facebook as part of a people's choice vote. You can vote for Olivia at www.facebook.com/newmarketexperience.